Opinions on Surgery Please, I need help

I have been trying to have surgery for years now, but between having more children and financing problems, it was not possible. I have the chance now, but my insurance will only cover the LapBand or the RNY.  My first choice is the Sleeve. 

I don't really want my intestines cut and I don't like all of the complications with the band. I already have hair loss problems form having a hormone imbalance, so I don't want to loose anymore hair.

My BMI is 47 and I have 3 children. I want my life back, but I don't know which surgery to choose.

Do any of you have any ideas for me to consider?

Thank you for your help.

I would fight for what I want. If it is the sleeve you want then fight for it. There are plenty of posts seen on this website that have fought for what they want and won. And if it was between the band and rny....hands down...rny. I'm banded. Don't waste your precious time and money. Good luck to you. Btw....i lost hair with the band....I was practically starving.

I love my RNY.  I would never recommend the band.  I have lost all my excess weight and have been maintaining for 2.5 yrs.  Best wishes with your decision.  Carol

Hair loss comes with all surgeries- not just weightloss surgeries and not just rny, if its going to happen its going to happen I'm sorry.

in saying that I've seen people on here fight for the sleeve when their insurance only covered rny and the band,maybe try on the sleeve board someone might be able to give you some pointers.

dont even consider the band, it's a nightmare and chances are you'll just need a revision after you put yourself through hell with it.

Most of the insurance companies are on board with the sleeve.  Do a google search for your insurance company's weight loss surgery policy and see if you can find their actual policy..  I had googled Anthem's policy before my surgery and found it had just been updated in November. 

I had RNY, but I have had nothing but problems. I am actually more unhealthy now then I ever was before.

I have been to the ER 6 times in the past year for muscle spasms and heartburn.

But I have also heard bad think about the band.

If I knew my life was going to be like this I would of NEVER had the surgery at all.

If it boils down to only these two choices at the end of the day, I would walk away before I had lap-band.

Other than the problems people tend to experience in higher numbers with the band, I would also be questioning if it would be the right choice for you with regard to the amount of weight you would need to lose. 

My choices, when I had surgery were the same as yours, either Lap-band or RNY.  I chose the RNY and have not had the first regret and have also had no problems.

 

I had the same choices with my surgery due to insurance constraints.  I went with RNY and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.  I went from 320 (bmi 43) to 145 (bmi 19) and I can do everything I want now.  My main motivation to have gastric bypass surgery was to get healthy as I was suffering from many comorbs and had a very poor quality of life.  I have 5 young children myself, all close in age, that was also part of my decision.  I wanted my kids to learn what healthy eating looked like and not have a mom that couldn't move anymore because of being morbidly obese.  I can do everything with them now and have proven to them that you can accomplish anything you want in life.  I have my life back now for the first time in 40 years and it feels fantastic!

Good luck with your decision!

M'Lane

fight for what you want, I had a by=pass and my fiend a sleeve and she is very happy with her sleeve so  .. go for what you want and fight fight and fight some more if you had to.

take care.  

I tell the story of needing to make a long trip from New York to California.  You have one year to complete the journey, all the money and resources that you decide to use are available to you. 

You start with the diet and exercise route.  All you take with you is a map.  The map shows what foods to eat and how many steps to take for each day.  You set out on your trip full of determination, but soon feel tired, bored and one day you just give up.  You never got to California and wish you had tried a different way.

You rest and start the journey over.  This time you pick a bicycle and a map.  The bicycle is the lapband and the map is your food and exercise plan.  The bicycle takes you much faster than walking did.  But it is still a long trip and you find that everyday you want to go a little further off your map.  Soon you are stopping for pizza and ice cream and each stop makes your destination a little harder to get to.  One day you just give up and start back to New York.  The bicycle has worn out and broken and the trip back is difficult with frequent stops for adjustment to the tires and various repairs both to the bike and to you.

You still do not want to stay fat and decide to try again.  This time you debate about replacing the bike.  There is much better bike called the sleeve.  Its tires are permanently filled and it is better fitted to your body.  There will be much less chance of breakdowns on the road and you will never need a refill.  You take your map and peddle away.  It is still a lot of work and all of that work is up to you.  What you eat is absorbed by the intestines.  You lose weight by eating less and only by eating less.

Or maybe you decide that you would rather get a car this time.  After the RNY or DS you drive the car and follow the map, but the hard work is done by the intestinal changes.  The food you eat just does not get absorbed by the body and the miles of the journey are done automatically.    Because food you eat is not absorbed, the weight falls off easily and you sit behind the wheel and follow the map.  As you pass all the other people walking and riding bikes, some of them holler at you, “Cheater”. 

Sometimes you stop and try to tell them that it is so much easier and better to just get a car, but they are afraid of that contraption and continue to work on doing in on their own. As you pass the Hollywood sign and then stop to watch the sunset over the Pacific you ponder all you went through to finally reach your destination.  The surgery that you were so afraid of turned out to be so easy.  The goal is reached.  There will be more work to do but the car will last a lifetime and be up for all future trips.